Cursed
by bholley
Summary: Through a strange accident, Holly Short is left sick and injured, unable to heal herself and in the care of Artemis Fowl. The curse from Hybras has returned to haunt and maybe even kill her. Artemis and the Butlers must find a way to save her life.
1. Chapter 1

The morning sun shone in through one of the windows in the guest bedroom. The slim elf lying on the bed wasn't in any sort of mood to enjoy it. Her eyes barely open, she coughed raggedly, shaking with the pain it caused. It seemed to split her apart. Then someone opened the door, apparently alerted by her coughing. Looking up through unfocused eyes, the elf could barely see a human shape approaching her, carrying a tray. The human set it down on the bedside table, sweeping some of the as of yet ineffective cough syrups out of the way. She was dimly aware of another human figure joining the first. Then she coughed and the familiar pain tore through her body again. She shut her eyes tightly.

Shaking from the chill and the pain, she was barely aware of one of the humans stroking her short hair, wiping the sweat from her brow and saying something in a low voice to the other. She felt the other gently lift her hand and put two fingers to her wrist. Checking her pulse. Then she felt something slipped under her tongue. Thermometer. It was held there for a while then removed.

She tried to open her eyes, but she was rendered too weak to do so by her recent bouts of coughing. The first human still hadn't stopped stroking her hair and murmuring things to her that she couldn't quite hear. The gentle touch and soft words soothed her. She felt another blanket being laid on top of her trembling body and felt someone gently tuck it in around her neck. As the hand and voice continued to calm her mind, she slowly stopped trembling and with a semi-contented sigh, lay still asleep again.

Artemis kept his hand on his friend's forehead, stroking the elf's short spiky hair until he knew she was deeply asleep. Juliet stood nearby, recording the elf's pulse and temperature on a chart. Artemis stood and quietly pulled the curtains to shut out the light. Holly needed a dark quiet place to recover from her sickness and injuries. Once the room was sufficiently dark, he beckoned Juliet into the hallway and quietly closed the door. He was reluctant to leave her, but he had various cameras set up around her bed to keep an eye on her. Halfway down the hallway, Juliet spoke.

"What are we going to do about this, Artemis? Will she be ok?"

Artemis sighed, feeling partly responsible for her pain. As a genius, he hated to not have the answers, but this time there was no way around it.

"I don't know." The boy replied.

_Flashback_

_Holly Short was on her first above ground mission since returning from the past with Artemis Fowl. She had been kept below ground for observation and was glad to be in the fresh air again. Her mission was to track down a group of teenage sprites who had gone to the surface illegally to party at Tara. Illegal tourists were often the most irresponsible about being seen by mud men, so it was important that they be found and returned to Haven._

_She found the group lounging around in a small clearing near the magical site. They had obviously been drinking mud men alcohol – also illegal. She approached them, flashing her badge. The sprites had surrendered immediately and she had cuffed them and sent for a retrieval shuttle to bring them back. _

_What she was not expecting was the large gnome with the metal walking stick that came from the woods. He was at first startled to see the elf in uniform standing over his drinking buddies, then angry at the officer for ruining their party. He ran at her with the metal stick. She had been calling for retrieval, and hadn't seen him approaching. She terminated the contact and turned around just as the gnome was swinging the stick at her back. It struck her in the side – hard. Hard enough to break several ribs. _

_Unfortunately he struck her where, just a few months ago, she had been stabbed by a cursed sword on Hybras. The magical curse had remained embedded in her body, harmlessly, until the wound was reopened by a broken rib stabbing through the area. She shot the gnome with her neutrino on reflex and through the pain, waited for her ribs to heal. The blue sparks began to work on her body, but suddenly the curse, activated by her magic, stopped all healing. Suddenly red sparks sapped all of the magic from her body and left her feeling empty. Gasping in pain, she sank to her knees. _

_Her only thought as she slipped out of consciousness was to call Artemis. He would know what to do. She fumbled with her communicator and dialed him just as she lost her balance and fell to the ground. She heard him answer, heard his frantic voice as he saw her through the hologram image, heard him calling Butler and trying to reassure her. His words fell on deaf ears._

"How long has it been?" Juliet asked as they neared the kitchen.

"Hm?" Artemis hadn't been paying attention, he'd been thinking about Holly.

"How long has it been since she was hit?" She asked again.

"Almost six hours. We found her in that creek around nine this morning."

His mind went back to when he and Butler had showed up on the scene. The LEP retrieval team had come and gone, thinking that Holly had already left. They found her at the edge of the woods, half in half out of a creek. Butler gently pulled the limp body out onto the grass and Artemis began examining her injuries. A fractured rib had punctured her skin and was still bleeding slightly. She was very cold. It was mid October, and while pleasant during the day, it became quite chilly at night, and remained as such until afternoon, and Holly was soaked from the cold stream.

They wrapped her in a blanket from the back of the Bentley and laid her on the back seat. Artemis held her limp body still while Butler drove back. Her head lay on his lap. While the situation was not altogether amusing, Butler allowed himself a small smile at the sight of his master cradling the elf's head in his arms, holding her small body still as they rode. It was unusual for Artemis to show so much concern, even changed as he was. Butler was rather enjoying it, understanding the reason behind the concern more than Artemis himself knew.

Upon arriving, they had immediately called Qwan and No 1. Qwan was able to remove the curse, with much difficulty, but was unable to make her wound heal. He explained that while the active portion of the curse was resolved, a residual had been left but would slowly dissipate over time. He estimated that she would be able to complete the ritual in a week to two weeks time. The warlocks then set her ribs as best as they could, then showed Artemis and the Butlers how to wrap them. Butler and Artemis had left the room for Juliet to wash and redress the unconscious captain. She wrapped Holly's ribs as instructed and lay her down on the bed.

The first time she awoke, Artemis and Juliet had rushed into the room. Artemis carrying a tray with some water and broth in case she could eat. The warlocks had also discovered that she had contracted pneumonia as a result of her long exposure to the cold air and water. They suggested that she be kept from coughing as it would hurt her ribs and possibly move them from where they had been set.

This was what had alarmed Artemis and Juliet when they heard her coughing. Now walking back down the hall, he felt slightly better about the situation. The captain's temperature was down; she had a fever when they arrived at the manor that morning, and it hadn't gone down by noon, but now it was lowering. He was also able to calm her, soothe her pain and send her to sleep. This made him feel very good. It also stirred up an emotion he couldn't quite place. He had felt the same way when he was holding her in the back of the Bentley. He decided he would have to ask Butler later.

"It's a good thing your family isn't here." Juliet noted as they arrived in the kitchen. "I don't know what they would think of you bringing an elf and some demons into the house."

Artemis nodded thoughtfully. "Mother knows about them, so I'm sure she wouldn't mind, but Father and the twins have no idea about them. Holly would kill me if any more humans found out. She wasn't very pleased about Mother knowing, but since they've met, I think they're on better terms now."

They sat down at the bar. Butler was preparing lunch.

"Was she able to eat anything?" the giant manservant asked. Juliet and Artemis looked at each other. Juliet answered him.

"She was coughing as we got near her room. The only thing we could do was calm her enough for her to go to sleep. We will probably have to wait a while before we can get her to eat anything."

"In that case, she should have somebody looking after her until she feels a little better. None of us will be able to hear her coughing from down here." Butler noted. "So who wants to watch a pretty elf sleep?" He said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"I will." Artemis said immediately, then fell silent as he caught the bodyguard's amused look. "I'll watch her." He said softer, his cheeks going red.

Juliet, mercifully, had not noticed this and said, "I will watch her after you, Artemis. Call us if you need help." Artemis nodded and walked out of the room, grateful that he hadn't stuttered and even more grateful that Juliet hadn't noticed his discomfort and Butler's amusement. He quickened his pace as he was out of sight of the Butlers. He practically ran to Holly's guest room.

Back in the kitchen, Butler chuckled quietly to himself. Juliet had gone to watch wrestling, so she didn't hear his parting comment. "Artemis… smitten by an elfin woman. Never thought I'd see the day."


	2. Chapter 2

Artemis was practically panting by the time he reached Holly's door. He fervently hoped nobody had seen him running. It was much too undignified. But then again, undressing down to his red Armani boxers and being sent back in time with his equally undressed elfin friend was fairly undignified too. _Maybe I should loosen up a bit._ He thought. _Holly might like that…Wait, What?! _ He shook his head to clear his confused thoughts. 'Of course she couldn't feel the same way about him.' _Odd clichéd statement. Where did that come from? Must have been some awful romance novel… I should really stop reading those. _He blocked the distracting thoughts from his mind and quietly opened the door.

The little elf lay still, apparently deep in sleep. Artemis was relieved that she hadn't woken while he was gone. He took her pulse and temperature carefully as not to wake her. He knew she would have to wake soon and eat, or at least drink. She hadn't had any fluids since the morning she set out on the mission, almost 15 hours ago now. If she didn't wake within the next three or four hours, he would have to put her on a fluids drip. He knew the captain hated needles, but he didn't see any other way. She still had a slight fever and he knew she was borderline dehydrated. But at the same time, he hoped she wouldn't wake for a while. She looked so peaceful laying still, her pretty face devoid of any pain or discomfort. Her pretty face…

Artemis reached out and gently stroked her cheek. It was cold to the touch. He gently pulled the blanket back and touched her arm. Also cold. Although her internal temperature was still slightly high, she might wake if her extremities became uncomfortably cold. He decided he would rather put his friend on the drip than let her awaken, cold and in pain. _Qwan said she should sleep as much as possible. Told me to tie her down if I had to. Kinky…_He shook the thought from his head. _Damn those romance novels... this is it. I'm getting rid of them. _He got another blanket, this one from his own room and draped the soft material over his friend's body. He tucked it in around her feet which were absolutely freezing.

He distracted his confused, hormone-riddled mind by quietly carrying a variety of electronic devices, both fairy and man-made, into the room. He set up a webcam by her bed, on the same table as the now-cold broth he had brought up about 2 hours ago. There were other cameras around of course, but they were wired to the main computer in his study. The webcam transmitted a wireless signal that he picked up on a modified fairy wrist locator. It held a screen and with some alterations, he could see his sleeping friend clearly on it. _Now to get rid of those horrid romance novels._ He though, quietly leaving the room.

He occasionally checked Holly on his locator. He didn't want her to wake and him not be there to comfort her. _Last time that happened, she almost passed out from the pain._ He recalled the incident around three that afternoon. He couldn't let that happen again. He made his way to his private study. Then he entered several codes on his computer, opening a concealed compartment in his bookcase. He took out all ten of the romance novels. The thought to give them to Juliet occurred to him, but he wasn't sure if she'd punch him or get the wrong idea… so he posted them to the nearest used book store.

He brought his laptop – a new model Macbook Pro – with him when he returned to Holly's room. He had a few things to ponder over about Holly's incident. Namely, why was she found in the creek when the video feed from her communicator clearly showed her in the middle of a clearing next to a group of handcuffed sprites and an unconscious gnome? And why were her helmet and neutrino missing? He immediately thought Opal had something to do with it, but Foaly had told him earlier that day that Opal present had been captured and sent to jail – again. Opal past had been sent into her own time almost two weeks ago, so that was out of the equation. _Equation. I wish everything in life had an equation._ He mused to himself.

He thought about his previous conversation with Foaly. The centaur had been very concerned about his elfin friend, but trusted Artemis to take care of her. She had not been returned to the Lower Elements to heal because not only was Artemis the best qualified to treat her injuries, but he had insisted that she not be moved until she had recovered somewhat. The demon warlocks backed him in this decision. There was nothing much the medical warlocks in Haven could do for her anyway. Most anything could be healed by magic and they were not trained to deal with broken bones or flesh wounds. _Speaking of which…_Artemis stood from his position on the floor and moved to Holly's side. The demon warlocks had told him that her bandages needed to be changed every six or so hours to keep the wound from festering, as the bad magic could still cause some damage if not treated.

They had left some sort of enchanted salve. While it couldn't get rid of the residual enchantment, it could keep it from spreading while it dissipated on its own and keep her flesh wound from becoming infected. He briefly debated whether or not he should change them himself, and then decided to let Juliet do it. The captain might kill him if she woke to find him messing with her shirt. _Although technically it's my shirt._ Juliet had dressed the elfin captain in some of her old sweatpants and one of his black nightshirts, as her LEP jumpsuit was cold, wet, torn and bloodied. He shut down his computer and placed it on a desk, then quietly left the room to get Juliet.

He found her and Butler watching wrestling on the TV in the main lounge area. Maybe watching wasn't the right word. Butler was sitting in his chair, mostly watching his sister's antics. She was jumping up and down on the couch, chanting along with the crowd on TV, "GRIM REAPER! GRIM REAPER!!!" then whooping and punching the air. Her popcorn fell off of the couch to spill on the floor. Once again, Artemis was glad his family was away. Mother would be upset about the mess. And about her poor couch getting jumped on. He coughed to get her attention. She didn't hear him, what with the chanting and the ominous creaking of the couch. Butler however, saw him and threw a cushion at his sister, who stopped jumping and whirled on him.

He simply pointed to Artemis. She nearly attacked him, but as he pointed in Holly's general direction, she stopped and muted the TV.

"What is it? Is Holly awake?"

"No. She's still asleep, but it's about time to change her bandages." He said

"And you can't do it?" She said, amused.

"I'm afraid she'll wake up and kill me." He muttered.

"Fair enough. I'd probably do the same." She followed him upstairs.

Sure enough, Holly still hadn't moved.

"After you change the bandage, I will have to put her on a drip. Please try not to wake her." He said, leaving the room to find the bag of fluids.

Juliet took Holly's pulse and temperature. She was relieved to find that her temperature was down even more, almost normal. Her pulse was stronger and steady, but slow as the elf was still deeply asleep. Juliet was glad of this as she carefully uncovered the elf's torso and pulled her shirt up to reveal the bandages wrapped around her broken ribs. The injury was low on her ribcage and altogether modest, but she could definitely see the elfin captain's reaction to Artemis trying to change her bandage. At least if Holly woke up and punched her, she would be just fine.

Holly however, did not wake up even as Juliet slightly lifted her body to unwrap the bandages. The broken skin over the fractured rib was no longer bleeding, but was raw all the same. Juliet carefully cleaned the area, making sure to keep the ribs in the right positions. She applied some of the enchanted salve and wrapped the little elf's ribs again. Satisfied with a job well done, she pulled the loose fitting shirt back down and tucked the warm blankets back in around the captain's body.

She found Artemis outside the door, pacing and looking fairly awkward. She beckoned him in, whispering,

"The wound has stopped bleeding for good now, I think. She didn't stir at all through the whole thing. Is that the fluids?"

"Yes," Artemis replied, "Foaly sent it up here. It's some sort of special blend he concocted, without mud-man toxins." He rolled his eyes but all the same, he understood how delicate Fairy bodies were. Pollution damaged their bodies like radiation. He quietly slipped into the room closing the door behind him, leaving Juliet in the hall. She shrugged and went back to watch the 'Grim Reaper' prepare for the next round.

Artemis took a picture frame down from above the bed and hung the bag of fluids on the nail. He took her hand from under the blankets and turned it palm down onto the bed. Tucking a small penlight behind his ear, he put a tourniquet on her arm to raise a vein, then carefully inserted the catheter into a vein on her hand. He taped it securely in place and let the fluids drip. He knew that with the IV in her hand, she would have to be watched extra carefully lest she wake up and rip it out in fear. _Maybe I should have added a sedative…_He checked her pulse and temperature again. Her temperature was normal, and her pulse still steady and strong. She was out of danger and currently being rehydrated. He smiled and sat back down on the floor, and opened up his computer again. _Time to contact Foaly and the demon warlocks and tell them she's stable. _

(Spacing problem in Ch. 1 has been fixed. Changed rating to T. 7-17-09)

-bholley


	3. Chapter 3

Holly Short woke very slowly, as though swimming up from a deep lake beginning in an obscure darkness that slowly lightened. Suddenly conscious enough to hear, she heard nothing but the clicking of laptop keys. The room was dark behind her closed eyes. She dimly remembered the pain of awakening last, and opted to lay still. She felt drowsy, as though still not fully conscious. Her mind slowly began piecing together the events of the past day. She remembered the pain as the metal pole hit her. The vivid red sparks flashed across her eyes and she moaned; a cracked, dry sound. She heard someone else in the room start up. The typing ceased and she heard footsteps quietly walk to her side. She struggled to open her eyes, but a hand gently covered them.

Artemis Fowl had been startled to say the least when he heard Holly moan. It had been silent for so long in the room. He quickly moved to her side. She was struggling to open her eyes, but he put a hand over them. He didn't want her to see the IV fluids and freak out. He laid his other hand on her arm.

"Shh Holly. Please don't move," he pleaded.

She groaned again in reply and struggled to open her eyes against his hand. _Stubborn elf._ He sighed and moved his hand and allowed her to open her eyes. She did so, but couldn't see immediately because her eyes were unfocused.

Holly knew the voice. She just couldn't figure out who it was. He was obviously concerned about her, but his hand holding her eyes closed was just plain annoying and altogether unhelpful. She groaned again and struggled to get her eyes open. She opened her eyes, and waited for them to focus on the human shape in front of her. She looked up into a pair of mismatched eyes that were looking down on her with concern.

"A-Artemis?" She whispered. "Did you… catch the thing… that did this… to me?" Her voice was strained and almost inaudible.

"What thing?" He asked, confused.

"The thing… that bit my leg."

Artemis didn't reply. He removed the covers from over her legs and rolled the pants legs up. Sure enough, on her left calf, there was a bloodied, swollen imprint of some very sharp, shark-like teeth. She shuddered with pain at his touch.

"Who… what did this to you?!" He exclaimed, anger and fear burning in his mismatched eyes.

She was shaking now, a ragged cough tearing at her body. Bloody foam appeared at the corner of her mouth. She started hoarsely crying out and writhing in pain. Artemis was shocked at her condition. He grabbed a sedative from the nearby table. He managed to hold one of her arms still long enough for him to inject the sedative into a vein. Her movements slowed, became twitching, and eventually stopped. She now breathed ragged breaths, eyes open but unseeing.

"Holly…" Artemis said, almost despairingly. He twisted his communicator on and called Foaly. The centaur didn't bother looking through medical records. Instead, he authorized No.1 and Qwan to teleport to the manor. Artemis was extremely glad they could do this, as Holly's condition was rapidly deteriorating.

"I don't understand how we missed this!" No. 1 exclaimed upon examining the wound. "The magic should have healed it."

"Did the residual curse affect healing all over her body or just in the area it originated in? Artemis asked, thinking hard.

"It spread immediately through her blood stream when the area was pierced. Whatever bit her must have had some sort of infection that it transmitted to her." Qwan stated.

"Is it…" Artemis began, but was interrupted by No. 1.

"No, it's not rabies. The bloody foam was caused by a rib grazing her lung. It must have happened when she was thrashing about just now. That's another reason to keep her still. We will reset her ribs again, but after this, you will have to keep her tied down or heavily sedated. She will heal better if she's kept off of strong drugs, but if you are unable to restrain her, we might have to resort to sedation." The little imp shuffled nervously, knowing Holly's violent capabilities.

"We will also have to keep her from coughing. It is disrupting the healing process. Remember, next time she wakes, don't let her talk. Beg her, bribe her, or get Juliet and Butler to threaten her. Whatever works. We can't have her complicating matters with more internal injuries." Qwan stated. "Go find some sort of tie-downs for her. Make them gentle, but firm. No need for her to think she's been tied up as some sort of hostage."

"But what bit her?" Artemis asked, still puzzled.

"The DNA we took from the wound indicates a wild cat. Maybe a cougar. It evidently saw or smelled her blood and drug her off into the woods for a snack. It must have reached the stream where you found her when it heard you two, so it left her there and ran." Qwan surmised.

"I wish it were that easy," Butler said, walking into the room. "But cougars are not native to Ireland. I'm unaware of any that have been released into the wild. Besides, they stalk and ambush their prey, not scavenge. Holly was only bitten on the leg to be drug off. If it wanted to eat her, it would have killed her first, then drug her off. This is uncharacteristic of their species. It leads me to think it was a trained animal."

"Are you sure it was wild cat DNA? A dog could have done the same sort of damage." Artemis said, concerned that the stories were not matching up. This almost always meant foul play. _Oh God. Enough with the bad puns._ He admonished himself.

The warlocks nodded.

"I guess that leaves us to see who has imported cougars or other large cats into the country. I'm suspecting that someone is behind this; someone who has access to large cats," Artemis mused. "Somebody must have known she was there and sent the cougar to drag her off. Not an altogether smart move considering we showed up before the cougar could drag her too far."

"Artemis," Butler began. "This…"

"Sounds like a trap. Yes. Or a really stupid villain." Artemis finished for him. "It can't be Koboi. Koboi of the past was sent back to her time, and the present one is locked up still." The boy thought for a moment. "This will have to be looked into, but I think we have time. We need to work on Holly first before we find her attacker." He nodded at Butler who was holding a roll of athletic wrap from the dojo. Qwan inspected it and decided that it would serve their purposes.

Holly had slipped off further into unconsciousness while they talked. The demons examined her leg, prescribed more of the salve, and supervised her restraining. Juliet had come with more of the wrap and systematically, they wrapped her arms to the bars on the sides of the bed, (it was Angeline's old hospital bed) restrained her legs, hips, chest and neck by wrapping the bandage all the way around the bed. The bindings were not too tight, but tight enough to prevent her from moving very far should she start to flail again.

Fortunately there hadn't been a lot of damage to her lung. The demons reset the ribs, and wrapped the bandage tighter, to keep the ribs from moving. This would restrict her breathing and possibly complicate the pneumonia, but in about a weeks time she'd be able to heal herself if she didn't cause any more internal injuries.

"She might have to have an oxygen mask. She will not be able to breathe very deeply with the tighter binding, so she will need more oxygen in each breath she takes. Can you get some?" Qwan asked Artemis.

"Certainly," the boy said. At a look from Artemis, Butler left to buy an oxygen tank and mask. Juliet stayed for the final instructions from the warlocks.

"Another question," Artemis began. "What can she eat? She certainly won't be able to sit up in this condition. She's not dehydrated because I've kept her on this drip, but she hasn't been awake enough to get any food down."

"That's probably just as well. Anything that goes down her throat may irritate it and make her cough. Talk to Foaly about it. I'm sure he has invented something to provide the necessary calories through a drip." No. 1 instructed. "We will discuss this with him when we return."

"Keep in mind though," Qwan stated, "she will not enjoy being helpless like this. You will need to reassure her. Physical touch helps often. Spoken words too. Even if she's unconscious, subconsciously they will relax her mind and body. You and the Butlers must keep this up as often as you can so she doesn't wake up like that again. I will ask Foaly if he can send up a brain-wave monitor, so you can have some kind of forewarning to when she will wake up."

Artemis thanked the warlocks, and they teleported back to Haven. About three minutes later, when Artemis was taking Holly's pulse and temperature, several boxes appeared in the middle of the floor. He opened one of the boxes to find a strange little machine with a few wires running off of it with adhesive pads on the end. He set it up, pressing the sticky pads gently to Holly's temples. He connected it wirelessly with his wrist computer and set an alarm to go off whenever she began to wake.

The other box contained more IV fluids. These were a darker color and were marked IVFR (Intravenous Food Replacement). _Very original, Foaly. _There were more of the simple liquid ones too. Her latest one was almost empty, so he switched them out. The third box contained some things that made Artemis smile. It was a small pot of earth and an acorn in a vial. _She won't even have to get out of bed._

(Thanks to ilex-ferox for telling me that cougars are not native to Ireland. I totally missed that - I must be slipping. That detail fixed on 7-19-09)

-bholley


	4. Chapter 4

Butler returned with the oxygen tank and mask, which Artemis set on her still face. She hadn't moved since he had administered the sedative, but the brain-wave monitor showed signs that she was simply deep in sleep, not in a coma. Artemis spent a considerable amount of time just sitting by her side and doing as Qwan said. He at first felt awkward about touching her as she slept. Subconsciously he was afraid of a hard punch to the nose if she woke to find him stroking her hair. It seemed to help her, at least as far as the brain-wave monitor indicated. Her brain was releasing more endorphins when he stroked her hair and spoke to her than when he was silent and left her alone. Her overall level of stress decreased too.

_Lovely machine this is. I wonder if Foaly would mind if I… copied a few of its components. He'll probably be willing to do just about anything if I get his friend well again. _Artemis suddenly sat up as he realized he would do the same. _I'd be willing to do just about anything if she would be well again._ As reluctant as he was to admit it, he missed her smile, sarcastic comments and fiery attitude. He missed the friend he could always count on to back him up and be there for him and his family. He almost missed the abuse. _She'll be back to normal as soon as she can complete the ritual. _He told himself. It had become his mantra over the past hours he'd been at her side.

He was lost in thought still stroking her hair, when his wrist computer beeped. He looked up at the monitor and it showed that she was waking. Certain chemical concentrations rising as her brain turned itself from sleep to wakefulness. He kept talking to her soothingly and rubbed her shoulder. He thought she might object to him 'petting her like a dog or something,' as she would put it.

Holly woke slowly, lingering in the half asleep half awake phase for a while. It felt good. She felt like she was suspended on nothing; the numbness of sleep still clinging to her now comfortably warm body. She could hear a voice calling her to wakefulness but she was reluctant to emerge from the peaceful place she'd found.

Artemis saw a spike of activity in the area of the brain responsible for annoyance and braced himself. _Oh no. Here she goes again. At least this time I'm not covering her eyes._ In truth, Holly was slightly irritated because she still felt drowsy but could neither go back to sleep nor fully wake up. The sedative still hadn't left her system completely.

She struggled to open her eyes, despite the weight holding them closed. She concentrated on opening one eye – the hazel one. It was more likely to focus than her human eye. She managed to open her eye maybe a millimeter. She saw a dim light and a shadow falling over it but then her eye fell closed again. _D'arvit._

Artemis was now really concerned – mostly for his own safety. He'd seen her eye flicker open briefly and now the monitor was showing that the elfin captain was royally pissed off. He stepped away slightly, even though he knew she was in no position to fight him – tied down as she was. The monitor was not registering much pain or discomfort, which was good. _This thing is really handy. I just wonder what she's so upset about._ He gently took one of her hands in his and rubbed it, bending down close to her ear.

"Holly, it's me. Artemis. Foaly gave me a brain-wave monitor and it's showing that you're really annoyed." He said, nervously. _God I have horrible bedside manners…_He swallowed then continued. "It's going to be fine. Qwan and No. 1 looked at your leg." Internally he debated whether or not to tell her that she'd been mauled by a non-native, probably domesticated species. "We've taken care of it. All we need you to do is rest now. Okay?"

He hoped this would calm her. He gently ran his fingers through her short auburn hair, hoping that she wouldn't take offence to this. _She has such pretty hair. All kinds of colors in it – beautiful even as short as it is._ He dared a glance at the monitor. She was less tense, and while still slightly annoyed, she was calmer.

"Please just bear with me and everything will be okay." He murmured in her ear in what he hoped was a soothing voice. "Do you trust me?" He asked, almost as a rhetorical question – he knew she couldn't answer. The monitor was answer enough for him. All traces of annoyance disappeared. _Despite all I've done to break her trust? She must be really out of it._ He had by now realized that the sedative was still in effect. Nonetheless, a couple of endorphins bumped the graph as he gently squeezed her hand and stroked her face. She was sinking back into sleep.

As she slipped back under, Artemis breathed an unconscious sigh of relief. She hadn't even fully woken up. _And I think she trusts me._ He was smiling as he tucked her limp hand under the blankets and changed out the IV fluid again. She was now well hydrated and a healthier tone was beginning to take hold of her face. _That pretty face. _He traced a finger along her jaw bone. More endorphins. _I had no idea she liked physical touch this much. She probably doesn't consciously know it. I will have to do some studies with this machine._ He thought as he quietly left the room to eat supper with the Butlers.

Supper with the Butlers was usually a silent affair, but Juliet had convinced her brother to have a less formal dinner for once. Butler made pizza - 'a gourmet version of course, but round Italian pizza pie nonetheless' Juliet had exclaimed upon seeing Artemis's bemused expression. He shrugged, exhausted from his efforts to keep Holly calm and sat down in front of the TV with the Butlers, eating pizza with caviar while watching the 'Grim Reaper' compete for the championship.

He occasionally checked on Holly through his wrist computer but other than a lowered level of endorphins, she was the same as when he'd left her. It was late at night by this time. He wasn't sure where he would rather sleep – in his own bed or near Holly. _In case she wakes during the night._ He opted to sleep in his own room but keep his wrist computer nearby in case she started to wake in the night.

He communicated to Foaly and the warlocks how she had been during her last wakeful period. Foaly was very relieved and the warlocks were pleased that she seemed to have turned a corner in her recovery.

"Just make sure you keep doing what you did this time to keep her calm." Qwan advised. "It seemed to have worked pretty well."

"She'll be out of danger in a few days, and within a week or two she'll be back to her normal abusive self." No. 1 quipped, trying to cheer Artemis up.

The boy was exhausted from the day. It had been almost 15 hours since they had found Holly in the creek and now Artemis just wanted to get some sleep. Holly was still sleeping peacefully when Artemis drifted off. Before he went to sleep, he decided to investigate the cougar case in the morning when he could think more clearly. _Too many emotions for me today. It's weird seeing someone's strongest emotions displayed on a monitor._


	5. Chapter 5

Paris, France – 1 Week Previously

The short woman wasn't exceptionally pretty. She was really more of a midget than anything else – with a disturbing love of truffles. Minerva had first met her in a chocolate shop of all places. They were both there for the truffles and had sat down together to enjoy their favorite snack. The thing that caught the young French girl's eye was the exceptional piece of jewelry she wore around her neck. It was a large, dark stone on a heavy gold chain.

"What's that piece of jewelry? It's very beautiful." Minerva asked.

"This?" The girl asked, lifting the stone with a free hand – the other occupied by a truffle. "It's an opal. My auntie gave it to me before she died."

"Oh, what happened to her?" Minerva asked. "If you don't mind telling me."

"It was an accident. She was trapped in a landslide. She didn't suffer, but before she went on the trip on which it happened, she gave it to me for safekeeping." She said, rubbing the stone in her fingers.

"I've never seen one quite like that before." Minerva stated.

"Not many have." She said. "The black ones are the rarest. Especially with red in them." She pointed to the very center of the stone, where a red streak shone suddenly. "It's only noticeable up close. I like it."

"Me too." Minerva added. "I have a few opals around the house, but they're the common type; the green and blue. My brother picks them up."

"I keep a lot more at home. They're my birth stone – for October. Would you like to come see them?" The woman asked.

"Certainly. I'll come over tomorrow." Minerva replied. She had been interested in minerals since hearing Artemis tell of his adventure with the iron ore deposit. "But might I ask what your name is?"

"Oh! I completely forgot to tell you. I'm Amber. You are…?"

"Minerva." The girl replied. "Glad to meet you. I'll see you tomorrow. I'll bring truffles. We recently had some imported from Belgium."

The next day, Amber showed Minerva into the house – a strange looking little bungalow in the suburbs of Paris. After showing her guest around and showing her the collection, they sat down to eat more truffles. Then something strange had happened. The little woman had been in the middle of a conversation about the chocolates, when the stone around her neck had begun to shine with a red light radiating out from the center. The little woman screamed as though in pain, but when Minerva tried to get to her feet to see what had happened, she found herself immobile. She couldn't move a muscle and she felt immensely heavy

The weight bore her to the floor. She landed on her side, facing the little woman as she too lay on the floor, writhing and tearing at the stone. Minerva thought she saw a second figure materializing on the floor next to Amber, but then her eyes fell closed and unconsciousness claimed her.

Minerva woke with a splitting headache. She felt worse than when she had that awful hangover/migraine combination she got after attending her first – and last – trip to a school party. It being France, of course there was alcohol. It being a teenage party, of course there was loud music and flashy lights. Also strangely similar to said incident was that the only thought in her otherwise eloquent mind was, '_What the hell happened?' _Then she heard something. It sounded thunderous – as per the migraine – but it turned out to be her own arm bumping into the table she had fallen beside.

Suddenly she remembered the strange little woman… or was it women? _Was I going cross-eyed, or were there really two people… oh GOD kill me now._ She quickly lost her train of thought as pain pulsed through her head. This was much worse than the hangover/migraine combination. How this was even possible escaped the girl genius for the moment. She was debating whether or not to meditate herself back into oblivion or try to wake up when suddenly all the pain stopped.

She lay still, confused, for a moment, then opened her eyes. She found herself lying on the floor in front of the sofa on which she had been seated. A truffle lay beside her head. She lazily reached up an arm to take it. Then, upon looking to her side, she saw her new friend Amber lying on the floor, curled up into a fetal position. The pain had clearly stopped suddenly for the other woman too, as she was looking up at Minerva with big, terrified brown eyes.

"She's back," Amber whispered, almost too quiet for Minerva to hear.

"What?" The girl genius asked, crawling toward Amber.

"Nothing, nothing," the woman said, a little two quickly.

"WHO WAS THAT?!!" Minerva almost shouted. "I SAW somebody."

"You saw… now she's going to kill me!" The other girl whispered in terror. "Nobody else was supposed to know! That was the last thing she told me. Oh God oh God oh God…" She was interrupted by Minerva grabbing her by the shoulders and pulling her to eye level.

"Who… was… that..?" Minerva asked slowly, her eyes boring into the woman's brown ones. The woman sighed, now resigned to her fate.

"That, darling, was my aunt. Opal Koboi."


	6. Chapter 6

_Artemis was at the theater where the first demon was supposed to appear. They were preparing to capture the demon – Butler was getting set up when Artemis heard an insistent beeping. Butler seemed not to hear it, so Artemis ignored it. It only got louder. He was concerned that it was a bomb and moved closer to Butler. "What is that?" he felt himself waking. _

His wrist computer on the table beside his bed was beeping – had been beeping for a few minutes while his dream incorporated the sound into it. He sat up with a start. _Holly!_ He almost ran to her room. He quietly opened the door, making no sound and made his way in the still dark room to the monitor. She was not quite conscious, but almost.

_Silence. Peaceful silence. I can feel something over my face. Too sleepy to take it off. Something sticking in the back of my hand. Is it… no. Don't think about that. Cold._ She shivered slightly, the numbness of sleep beginning to leave her limbs. She heard something come into the room. It made almost no sound, but she heard it nonetheless. She was not alarmed. She knew that Artemis was taking care of her. It was probably him.

Her guess was confirmed when a gentle hand touched her arm. It was very warm. She shivered when it left. She felt a warm blanket laid on top of her shivering body.

"Holly?" a soft voice spoke. "Are you awake?"

Of course Artemis already knew she was conscious via the monitor, but he didn't know if she was feeling well enough to respond. Holly struggled to open her eyes. She felt the thing on her face moved a little bit. Not taken off, but moved farther down on her face so she could open her eyes. At first her vision was blurred, but the shape of a human standing over her slowly appeared. She finally managed to focus her eyes and looked up into a matching pair. Artemis was bending over her, one hand on her shoulder.

"It's nice to see you awake." He said. It was genuine – Holly could tell. Her memory was still foggy about what had happened. She suddenly wondered how bad she was hurt. She'd remembered something biting her leg, and the untreated pain the first time she woke, but she didn't know why her side hurt so bad nor why she couldn't breathe very well. She resisted the urge to cough, remembering that it would hurt.

"Please don't try to talk just yet. I don't know how much you remember, but you were hit in the side by a metal walking stick." It came back in a flash now. Holly remembered the sudden pain, shooting the gnome, and being unable to heal.

"It reopened the Hybras wound and you're still under a residual curse. You also have pneumonia, so be still and try not to cough." He paused.

"Please don't try to talk, but I want to know if you can hear me and if you can think clearly." He took her hand. "Squeeze my hand if you understand me." The response was weak and made her eyes flicker, but he felt the slim elfin hand move in his, weakly squeeze for just a second, then fall limp again. This concerned Artemis. She was barely strong enough to open her eyes and squeeze his hand. He looked into her eyes again and although barely open, he saw the familiar light beginning to return. She was weak and helpless. Beaten, but not defeated.

Suddenly overcome with weariness, Holly closed her eyes. As she was drifting off to sleep, she suddenly realized that Artemis was still holding her hand. She didn't mind. Although a sentiment totally unfounded in reality, she felt safe with him around. He couldn't fend off a fly, but he made her feel safer just by being there. He would know what to do no matter what happened. So, feeling safe and secure, Holly drifted off to sleep under the warm blankets and Artemis's watchful eyes.

Artemis was still standing beside Holly, holding her hand, when she fell asleep again. He knew something was wrong. As strong as Holly was, he expected her to put up at least a little more fight when he told her not to talk. She shouldn't be this weak. He put her hand back under the blankets and resolved to look into the 'cougar' issue.

Three Days Previously – Paradizo Estate, France

"So let me get this straight." The girl genius began, looking at the disheveled woman in front of her. "Opal Koboi is your aunt who was killed in a rock fall. Now she's contacting you from Hell through that stone she gave you?" She looked incredulously at Amber. Minerva now understood why the little woman was so short. She was a pixie who had been living on the surface in Paris since she had become involved with Opal. Her ears had been cropped – it was obvious now. She had no magic. _Probably a good thing. I don't think I could stand more magical insanity right now._

"And now you're going to make me help you follow Opal's orders?" She finished. Amber nodded. "And how, pray tell, are you going to do that?" Minerva asked, a smirk on her face. Amber looked guilty.

"I have no control over what happens. Opal seems to have grown stronger in Hell. This is her one contact with the world. So now, if I disobey her, she makes unpleasant things happen through this stone." She said, holding the stone away from her body, as though afraid it would burn her. _Come to think of it, it probably would…_

"So, what happens if, say, I call in bodyguards to arrest you and send you to the local mental hospital?" Minerva asked. She had no intention of doing so, but she wanted to know if the pixie was bluffing. Before Amber had a chance to answer, the stone emitted a blinding flash that left Minerva temporarily blinded. She cleared her vision at last to find Amber doubled over in pain screaming in an unknown language.

Finally the little woman collapsed to the floor, gasping.

"She said, 'don't make me come up there Minerva Paradizo.' She's immensely powerful and we have no choice but to obey." Amber said, her eyes dull.

"But," Amber began, her eyes brightening, "she said there's a possibility you might enjoy this mission." Minerva's eyes narrowed.

"Why would I enjoy a mission from a pixie from hell?" She asked, tempted to call the guards and remove this problem. Her patience was waning thin.

"Because," the pixie paused dramatically, "this involves revenge on an old common enemy. You called her the demoness?"

Minerva gasped. "That elf! The one who took Artemis away for three years!"

"She's the one. Now, it wasn't her fault at all, but you can just forget all about that." The girl's voice was changing, becoming older and more sinister, with a slight whiny tone. If Minerva had been more familiar with it, she would have noticed the _Mesmer_ tones in the voice. The voice no longer belonged to Amber. It was Opal Koboi.

"Now look deeply into my eyes, mud girl." The voice spoke. Minerva had no choice but to obey. Her arms and legs would not obey her. "Now, your will is mine."

Suddenly Minerva's mind was filled with memories that were not her own. Horrible memories of an ashy, dirty world with awful creatures like that Abbot character. _Abbot?_ A thunderous voice called in her head, drowning out her own thoughts and sending her to her knees. _I am Abbot. And you are under my control! Hee hee hee!_ Suddenly another voice cut in. It was Amber's and this one was audible.

"Stop that giggling you moron. Take her over!" Minerva/Abbot soon realized that the last bit was spoken. Minerva felt as if she was tied up and left in a dark corner of her own mind. She felt herself fading, her consciousness being bored into and replaced by that of a demon in Hell.

Amber had felt the same experience and hadn't given up much resistance either.

Previously, in Hell

Opal felt herself falling, as if she was a lead weight in the ocean. It became increasingly dark. The last thing she remembered before she started falling was a large rock in freefall above her head. Suddenly she became aware of things moving around her in the dark. Slimy things that touched her skin and made her complain about them drying her skin, as she used to do with the two pixie brothers. A light suddenly turned on. It was red and illuminated the area. The slimy things scattered and she found herself alone in the lit space. Suddenly, a tall humanoid shape appeared from a corner.

It had a gaunt, white face, dark hair, and a startlingly familiar mustache. She wondered briefly what her chances were of meeting an evil human mastermind in Hell. The man looked down, without smiling, and held his arm up in the familiar Nazi salute. Opal returned it and spoke.

"So, Hitler. What brings you to my domain?" _My domain? Why'd I say that? Must be force of habit._ The man sat down cross-legged in front of the pixie. He spoke, not in German, but in Gnommish.

"Opal Koboi, I presume?" He asked.

"You're not Adolph Hitler, are you?" She asked, mildly disappointed.

"No, but my soul had to find a body somewhere. What better place than in a body with no soul?" The man said, a smile appearing below the scruffy mustache. _Bizzare_. Thought Opal.

"So, since you aren't Hitler," she sighed, "who are you?"

"I am Abbot! Demon King and ruler of Hybras." The man said, puffing out his chest. Opal rolled her eyes. Another big-headed male. Seems they're everywhere.

"Well, why have you come here?" She asked, strangely irritated.

"I believe you will help me." He began.

"And why should I help you?" She interrupted.

"Because if I know you, all you lived for was revenge. Why not continue in death?" He said, in a rare articulate moment. _He must be taking cues from the human body._ She narrowed her eyes, suspicious.

"That wretched elf Holly Short! And Artemis Fowl." She muttered. He smiled again.

"Yes. You have the brain, and I have the magic. Together we will be unstoppable."


	7. Chapter 7

Artemis was hard at work on his laptop. He had returned to his study and was hacking into animal control sites. There were very few cougars in the area. Most of them belonged to zoos. There were only two people who owned pet cougars, but they could be counted out because Ireland was not their main residence. They were film producers from the United States and had vacation homes in Ireland. _Dead end_.

He returned quietly to Holly's room, determined to examine the wound on her leg more closely. As he pulled the covers from over her leg, she moaned in her sleep. He paused. _This will probably hurt._ He didn't want his friend to wake in pain, so he dripped a few drops of chloroform onto the intake for her oxygen mask. She was soon still again. He gently unwrapped the bandage. He examined the marks that by now had scabbed over but were still raw. They didn't look like claw marks. He took a sterile probe and took a sample of one of the scabs, including the tissue underneath. Despite the chloroform, Holly's leg twitched and she moaned in pain. He dropped in a little more chloroform.

He took a few more samples, then put more of the salve on her leg and bandaged it back up. He made sure to flush the chloroform from the system as Holly was asleep again. He brought the samples to his lab and looked at them under a microscope. _Strange. There are hairs, but they're all very short._ He looked closer. _There's PINK. Hot pink. _He sat back, confused. He called in Juliet to confirm what he thought he saw. There were flakes of pink nail polish in the sample. Juliet grabbed Artemis's hands. No pink. _Good. Arty's not wearing nail polish._ She thought, giggling quietly. Artemis snatched back his hands and the sample and did some DNA testing.

Before he could complete the testing, his wrist computer suddenly started beeping frantically. He left the samples and rushed down to his friend. Holly was gasping in pain, her arms straining against the ties that bound her. Occasionally a weak cough racked her body. _Oh no. Not again._ Artemis used more of the chloroform and soon she stopped struggling. Her eyes weakly opened, unfocused.

"Holly, what happened to you?" Artemis said aloud, mostly to himself. Holly moaned softly from behind the mask. Artemis felt helpless – a rare occurrence for the genius. He didn't know what else he could do for her, besides try to comfort her. She was trembling both from pain and from cold. It was, after all, cold outside and Holly had very little strength available to warm herself up. Artemis draped another blanket over her body. She winced when he touched her leg.

He very carefully unwrapped it. It had started bleeding again, mostly from his sample removal. She writhed in pain and moaned again at his touch. He rummaged in a bag at the foot of the bed for a moment and came up with a needle. Fortunately Holly hadn't seen it and he was able to quickly swab an area above the injury and anesthetize it. Soon Holly's tense muscles relaxed as the anesthetic took away the pain of the injury. He bound it again, this time with not so much as a twitch from Holly. She lay still, breathing evenly, but still conscious.

He sat down in the chair beside her and took a limp hand. He rubbed it gently while subtly changing out her IV fluid. She had by now realized she was on an IV but she was too weak to do anything about it. Artemis held her hand until she drifted off, then he returned to the lab.

Forest near Tara, Ireland, 12 hours before Holly's injury

"Do we have to sit in this nasty swamp?" Opal complained to Abbot who was sitting on a log nearby. Opal and Abbot had complete control over Minerva and Amber's bodies respectively. They spoke to each other quietly in the voices of their captives.

"Yes we do. When that elf comes to capture those sprites, we can get her!" Abbot exclaimed, clapping Amber's hands together and twisting her face into a wicked grin.

"But I thought the whole point of this mess was to hurt _Artemis_." Opal sulked. "I want to kill Artemis!"

"And what better way to incapacitate him than to maim his best friend?" Abbot said smugly. "It's perfect. He discovers that his best friend is being horribly tortured, we lead him into a trap, kill her, leave him broken-hearted, and kill him too!"

"But she must stay alive." Opal stated, growling. "At least for a while. I hope you're not getting any ideas about finishing her off."

"As much as I would like to, I suppose it will be better if we don't." Abbot didn't exactly care about exacting his revenge on Artemis at the moment. Priorities after all, stated that the elfin captain must die a slow painful death, then Artemis could be taken care of.

5 Hours Later

Abbot captured a large gnome. His name was Sool, or something along those lines. He was a fat chubby fellow, and kept claiming he used to be in the LED or something. What a loser. He certainly didn't seem very bright. He would be useful in their plan. No need for Minerva or Amber to get shot.

7 Hours After That

After hours of waiting in the swamp, the time had come. The spunky captain had showed up and as expected, arrested all of the sprites. The gnome had been mesmerized into believing these were his drinking buddies and that the elf must be stopped. He was supposed to hit her in the ribs on her left side. _That's where I stabbed her,_ Abbot remembered gleefully. _And this time, she has no Artemis to bring her back._

The mesmerized gnome preformed his duty perfectly. Opal and Abbot watched with grins on their faces from a nearby bush as Holly dropped to the ground, red sparks devouring her healing blue ones. She was bleeding - some of the ribs had broken through the skin. They didn't see her call Artemis though. Suddenly, Abbot launched himself out of the bushes at the elfin captain. _She ruined my plans! All of them! Now for MY plan…_ Without further thought, he dug Amber's hot pink painted fingers into the elfin captain's exposed leg. Unfortunately for him, Amber's cougar skin scarf was in the way. It was ground into the wound with the nails. The painted fingernails were tearing with inhuman force. Abbot put all of his strength into tearing at her leg. He began dragging her off into the forest around the clearing.

_NO! He's ruining the plans! Curse that stupid demon._ She snarled and leapt out of the bushes. Abbot, working with a feverish strength from Hell, managed to drag the captain down to the edge of a stream. This was when Opal managed to tackle him. Opal wrestled the hand out of the elfin captain's leg. It tore some of the muscle and skin out with it, leaving a bite-like mark where the fingernails had been. The elfin captain tumbled into the stream. She lay half in half out of the water, her torso resting on the shore, still bleeding. Opal dragged Abbot a fair distance away and then started berating him.

"How could you, you moronic demon? Now what are we going to do? Hope she lives? Fat chance of that. Now she'll get hypothermia and die! MORON!"

"Who are you calling a moron? This was my idea! I mesmerized the gnome! The least you could do was allow me some fun!" _And fulfill my own special plan…_

The ranting went on and on for what seemed like hours, fortunately for them it was out of the earshot of Artemis and Butler who arrived 30 minutes after the attack and took Holly away with them. When Opal and Abbot finally returned to the scene, they were surprised the body had been taken away so quickly. They saw evidence that the bodyguard and his genius charge had been there. There must be a change of plans, now that the boy had their torture victim.

Fowl Manor (real time)

Artemis finished the DNA testing, but there wasn't enough information to determine what was wearing the pink nail polish. After analyzing it, he determined it was one of the more expensive brands available only in France. He would have to keep an eye out for French women with hot pink nail polish. _Minerva…_ No, it couldn't be her. She wasn't especially close to him, but she had spent a lot of time with Butler and wouldn't hurt Holly… would she? He didn't exactly know what she thought of his three year absence. She hadn't really wanted to talk about it much.

Artemis returned to Holly's side. She was peacefully asleep but her brow was still furrowed in pain. He gently rubbed her face until the muscles relaxed. It was getting late. He wanted to make sure she slept through the night, but he was reluctant to sedate her, knowing how weak she was. He decided to take a sample of her blood to analyze. When he took it, she shuddered and moaned, struggling weakly with the straps that held her still.

"Holly…" Artemis didn't know what to say. It was a rare occurrence that he didn't have the words for the situation, but this was one of those times. All he could do was try to reassure her by stroking her face and hair. He decided to go ahead and sedate her. _A low dose._ She struggled weakly against his hands as he injected the sedative.

"Don't fight it Holly. Just this once. This will make it stop hurting." He implored. "Please trust me. We'll get you through this." Whether it was from his words or the sedative in her system, Holly relaxed. He examined her leg wound again. Her entire calf was swollen and the area around the wound was red. It was becoming infected, and even the warlock salve wasn't helping. _Maybe the blood test will reveal something._ He thought as he quietly left the room and the sleeping elf behind him.


	8. Chapter 8

In a Forest Somewhere Between Tara and Fowl Manor

Opal and Abbot were walking through the woods toward Fowl Manor. Opal was in a delightful mood since they had devised a plan to recapture Holly and she had pilfered some truffles. She was so upbeat, she even tried to make conversation.

"So who did that gnome say he was? He looked kind of familiar…"

"Mark Fool or something. He was slurring his speech a bit. Probably drunk."

"And he said he was an ex officer of something?"

"The LED I think…"

Opal interrupted. "The LEP! OH NO! That was ARK SOOL!"

"Ex-commander? Big fat deal. He probably had it coming." She stopped him with a hard slap to the face.

"Sool was my Fiance! We were to get married after he took over the LEP and the Council. It would have been perfect! We would have had a monopoly over everything in Haven, if it weren't for that elf, dammit." She lapsed into a bad tempered string of curses and complaints directed at Holly Short. "All her fault!"

She broke into a run.

"Come on, Abbot. We're going to make her pay for this. I wasn't aware Sool was on the run. I wonder what the moron did now…"

Fowl Manor

Holly felt like at troll was sitting on her chest. Her breathing was constricted and coughing didn't help at all. She was gasping for air and struggling against her restraints when she heard Artemis rush into the room. He saw her condition, the fear of suffocation in her eyes, heard her gasping for air. Her airways were swollen and constricted as an effect of the pneumonia. He turned up the oxygen and fitted the mask tighter to her face. She heard him call for Butler as though he were very far away. Her vision was becoming spotted and she felt herself slipping away but she fought for air all the more.

Butler came in with a jar of Vapor Rub. Artemis spread it on her neck and chest as far as he dare reach. She stiffened as she felt the cold pierce through to her swollen airways. She was breathing easier within seconds. She stopped struggling and lay still as she was gradually able to breathe easier.

Artemis was looking at a readout from the oxygen machine.

"You're going to be fine now." He said, wiping the rest of the salve off onto a towel.

"In a few days you can complete the ritual. I sent some of the blood sample to the warlocks. There's two more days of trace curse left, and after that you will be back to normal." He said, then took her hand.

"I want to test your strength, squeeze my hand." The response was better than before. Not nearly as strong as she should be, but much improved. This must have shown in his face as he flipped her hand over to take her pulse, because Holly looked satisfied with her effort. She seemed to get a little overconfident as she tried to lift her head up. She winced and fell back onto the pillow, cursing quietly behind the mask. Artemis smiled.

"Not yet Holly. Maybe tomorrow we will help you sit up." He put a hand on her forehead. She muttered something he couldn't quite hear under the mask.

"What was that?" He asked, bending over closer to her mouth, still under the mask.

"You'd better let me sit up, Artemis." She grumbled. Her voice was soft, but even and determined. "Why the hell am I tied down anyway?" He backed away slightly, holding his hands up.

"Wasn't my idea. You messed up your broken ribs when you woke up, and Qwan suggested we tie you down." He paused. "We were afraid you'd hurt yourself."

Holly glared for a moment as she considered this, then she nodded minutely. Artemis released a breath he didn't know he had been holding. Even though the elfin captain was in no shape to hurt him, she could practically shoot daggers with those mismatched eyes. She looked up in silent gratitude for his care.

"Thank you." She whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear. He smiled. It was a real smile, not a smirk. He gently smoothed back her hair with the hand that wasn't holding hers.

"Thank you too." He said quietly, "for forgiving me." Her face wrinkled with confusion for a moment, then she understood. She smiled under the mask and closed her eyes. He continued to stroke her hair until she drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face.

Artemis felt that she would sleep through the night. He changed out the IV fluids. _Hopefully she won't need them for very much longer._ It was late. She just had to make it through tomorrow, then the day after that she could complete the ritual and regain her strength.

Just Outside Fowl Manor's Walls, The Next Morning

Opal was in a terrible mood. She had tripped and dropped her truffles into a stream – and she had scuffed her boots. _Dammit, those were new._ She was giving Abbot abuse for his awful navigation skills.

"You wouldn't be able to find this place if it was right in front of you." She grumbled.

"It's right in front of me. I found it. So what if we took a slight detour. We got here in plenty of time, right? He said, gesturing at the walls above them. They were out of the view of the cameras but Opal was still justifiably nervous.

"Shh, you never know if the mud boy is watching us right now." She said, dragging Abbot deeper into the forest.

"Yeah yeah. So when – and how – do we get into this place?"

"You'll see. I'm still afraid he has bugs on the outside of this wall."

"Come to think of it, I did see a ladybug…"

"Not that kind of bug, moron. A listening device. He might be onto us."

"Anyway," Opal finished, "we won't be able to attack immediately. For one thing, I must get some different clothes."

"What's wrong with those?" Abbot asked. _Women and their clothes._

"They're mud-stained, dirty, wet, and torn. I don't want to look like I've just walked through miles of woodlands. I must keep up appearances, especially as the plan is concerned." She said, and beckoned him to follow her. They stole a pair of mopeds from a nearby residence and made their way to the closest department store.

Opal nearly cackled with glee. They were going to be the best dressed kidnappers in the world. Well, she was anyway. Abbot had to wear black – harder to see. Not as fashionable unless paired with heels and some bling.

Fowl Manor, That Afternoon

"OW! D'ARVIT, FOWL!" Holly swore loudly still from behind the oxygen mask. "Loosen the ties around my waist."

They were trying to lift her into a sitting position. Foaly had contacted Artemis and Holly earlier that morning and said she would probably be able to breathe better if in a reclining position. Butler and Juliet were carefully lifting her up while Artemis was trying to prop pillows behind her back. It was a slightly painful process and by the time it was done, Holly was exhausted from the pain and cursing, and Artemis and the Butlers had learned a lot of colorful words in more than five different languages.

Holly glared up at Artemis for a moment. "Untie me, I promise I won't move." She said, almost demanding.

Artemis and the Butlers looked at each other. "Qwan told me not to. I can loosen them though. We need to re-bandage your side and your leg, but after that we'll loosen them."

"Just relax. It will hurt less if you do." Juliet said as she put a hand under Holly's lower back and waited for the elf to relax before she lifted Holly's body slightly and unwrapped the bandages. Meanwhile, Artemis was examining her leg. The redness had gone away but the swelling remained. He tapped gently to see if it was filled with fluid and learned a few choice words for his trouble. Juliet was soon done and they wrapped her ribs again.

By the time all of this was done, Holly was again very weak and barely conscious. _Maybe it was too much all at once._ Artemis thought as he took her pulse at her neck. Holly was drowsy. She felt herself slipping away when Artemis's touch to her neck brought her back for a moment.

"Just rest now. By this time tomorrow you'll be fine." He said soothingly. She nodded slightly and relaxed. She felt more comfortable sitting up a little more. She was still exhausted though and willingly fell asleep.

Outside Fowl Manor, Night

Opal and Abbot had been shopping all day. Now Abbot was in a rotten mood. They had transformed Amber's body from a short French girl to a ninja-like wraith, dressed all in black. Minerva's body had been fitted in her usual choice of expensive clothing – paid for by Sool's LEP salary Opal had stolen. Opal delved into Minerva's memory and allowed the French girl just enough power over herself to act as she normally would without giving the duo away. For all Minerva knew, she was simply visiting Artemis and Butler like she always used to do.

They bought a hotel room as Minerva Paradizo and her new bodyguard Amber Koboi. Opal replenished her truffle deficiency while Abbot explored the bathroom. Opal, disgusted by it, ate truffles from the bed farthest from it and watched news programs on the TV. She fell asleep, exhausted by the trekking and all the shopping.

Abbot finally peeked out from the bathroom. Opal was snoring, empty truffle boxes all around her, on the farthest bed. Abbot quietly turned off the TV and crept out of the room. He went to the alley behind the closest pharmacy and made his way inside through an air duct. He gathered what he wanted from the dark building and returned to find Opal still asleep. He too went to sleep, satisfied that his personal plan was working out perfectly so far.


	9. Chapter 9

Fowl Manor, The Next Morning

Holly woke up feeling very semi-nauseated, but better. She was still propped up in the same position she had fallen asleep in the night before – propped comfortably on the pillows. She shifted impatiently in the bed and gasped as her still broken ribs grated painfully. She grumbled softly behind the mask and lay still. Artemis came in a minute or two with both the Butlers.

Artemis had been communicating with the warlocks and Foaly. They decided it was not necessary for them to come to Fowl Manor to supervise the healing. All that Holly would need to do is plant the acorn Foaly sent in some sort of dirt. They did suggest that they place Holly in a bathtub before the healing as it would probably purge her body of the curse and toxins through the pores in her skin. Artemis grimaced at this. It reminded him of the drunken pixie he found in his first endeavors with the People. But he knew Holly was healthier. It couldn't be too bad. _Famous last words…_ He thought as he and the Butlers walked to Holly's room.

"Good morning Holly." He said, "Ready to be healed?"

"Do you even need to ask, mud boy?" Holly growled, still in pain from the movement.

"What did you do?" He asked, suspiciously.

She grumbled behind the mask. This time he caught it.

"Why did you move? Must you be so impatient?" He said, but continued before she could interrupt. "But never mind that. Let's get you healed." He relayed the information the warlocks and Foaly had told him while the Butlers carefully unwrapped the bandages that held Holly still. Artemis gently removed the IV catheter and the oxygen mask.

"Please be still." Artemis said. "Moving you to the tub might hurt." It turned out to be a great understatement. Holly almost passed out from the pain as Butler gently lifted her and padded to the in suite bathroom. Her eyes were closed as he gently lowered her body down into the tub. The scene was strangely reminiscent for Artemis. She looked much as she had when they laid her in a hole in the ice in Siberia to heal her hand. Her eyes were closed, face scrunched up in pain and shock, her body stiff from pain and cold.

She began to struggle for air again, missing the oxygen mask. Juliet snatched a potted plant from the desk in the bedroom and brought it to Butler and Artemis. Artemis broke the seal on the glass tube containing the acorn. Holly opened her eyes weakly as he took her hand and curled her cold fingers around the acorn. He moved her hand over the plant on the side of the tub, over a small hole Butler had made with a finger. Her lips moved soundlessly as she dropped the acorn in.

Artemis let her hand go. It rested for a moment on the rim of the flower pot, then the entire room was flooded with a bright blue light emanating from Holly's hand and the pot itself. The light flowed up her arm like a lightning flash and her entire body began to glow. She began to cry out in a hundred different languages and writhing as if in pain. As her shouts turned to screams and she disappeared in a dense blue fog, panic almost took hold of Artemis. _What if she drowns in there? _He calmed himself with an effort as the screams started abating. Soon the blue light faded. Artemis looked over the edge of the tub, almost afraid of what he would find.

Holly lay in what looked like a pool of mud. Her entire body was covered in the stuff. Her eyes shot open suddenly and she took in a huge gasping breath and sat up. She took a couple more deep breaths, then smiled suddenly. She twisted her torso experimentally and moved her leg, pulled up the leg of the sweat pants and examined the healed wound. Her smile became a grin as she realized she was completely healed. All that remained were scars.

The smile was infectious and soon it was returned by three other faces. Artemis came to his senses first. Not caring, for once, about the sludge that covered his friend's body, he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Nice to have you back."

Outside the front door of Fowl Manor

Minerva/Opal impatiently smashed her fist on the door bell over and over. There hadn't been a response for the past few minutes. Little did she know that the sound of the doorbell was drowned out to the inhabitants by screaming from inside. Opal couldn't hear the screaming however, and was becoming more and more irritated as time passed. A rough growl issued from the radio transmitter near her ear.

"What's taking so long?" It was Abbot of course. _Impatient demon._

"The Fowl boy isn't answering the door."

"Maybe they're not home?" The transmission ended with a loud scratchy squeak that made Opal wince.

"Where would they go? They have Holly – where would she be safer than in the manor?"

Silence was the only response. Opal kicked at the door angrily.

"I'm going in." Abbot said through the mic.

"NO! You fool, you'll ruin the whole plan! What if they're waiting for something like that?!" Opal practically shrieked.

There was no reply. Opal waited for a short time, then cursed and kicked the door again. This time the door opened, she was hauled in and the door quietly shut again. She was too terrified to even cry out. Plans formed in her head but were dashed to pieces. Then the need to plan ended suddenly as something hard crashed down on her head and unconsciousness reigned.

Fowl Manor Bathroom

Holly was left alone to wash the sludge from her body. She shook out her newly cleaned short hair like a dog. She had never felt so alive, but she still felt weak from lying in bed for a week. She hadn't eaten in so long! She missed the feeling of good food in her stomach. She wrapped herself awkwardly in a massive human towel and walked out into the bedroom. A new set of clothes was laid out on the bed she had been confined to for so long. She dressed and then stretched. Her muscles were sore from disuse and weak from lack of food.

Staggering slightly, she made her way out the door. She supported herself against a wall as she made her way down the familiar halls to the kitchen. She stumbled and tripped, but she never hit the ground. Strong arms were around her waist, holding her up. Holly turned her head to find Juliet holding her, one arm still around her small waist, the other on her shoulder, setting her back on her feet again.

"Are you ok?" Juliet asked, pushing Holly gently back to where she was leaning against the wall.

"I'm fine. I'm just really hungry and weak." Holly mumbled, embarrassed at her weakness. Juliet smiled in relief.

"Good. I thought you were still sick. Come on then, let's get you some food."

Holly was able to walk under her own power to the kitchen, with Juliet guiding her and keeping her from falling several times. She finally collapsed in a chair near the kitchen.

"Dom says you shouldn't eat a lot at first. You know, take it easy." Juliet said, walking into the kitchen. She returned with a nettle smoothie. Holly's favorite – usually only found in the Lower Elements. She was fully prepared to chug the whole thing and ask for seconds, but Juliet took it away after a few swallows.

"First of all, give that back." Holly demanded, then when she realized she would get nowhere with Juliet, continued. "Where did you get that? I didn't think humans drank nettle smoothies."

"Foaly sent it, along with a new uniform for you. Now drink slowly. No need for you to get sick again." She said, handing the drink back.

"Where are Artemis and Butler?" She asked, after taking several gulps and getting her drink taken away again.

"They said they'd be busy for a while. They wouldn't tell me why. You know how they are." Holly nodded, then yawned.

"You probably need some more sleep. Do you want to lie down on the couch and just take a nap? I'm sure you're tired of lying in a bed."

"Yeah, sure. I really don't want to lay down, but I'm so tired!" Holly grumbled. She struggled to her feet and almost fell over again. Her eyes were closing of their own accord. Juliet half walked – half carried the elf to a nearby couch, where she collapsed and promptly fell asleep. Juliet covered the little body with a blanket and left to find Artemis and Butler.


	10. Chapter 10

Just Inside Fowl Manor's Walls

Abbot cursed the weak body of the altered pixie. He had just slipped off of the wall he was scaling because those stupid pink fingernails couldn't hold on. How he wished for his claws again. He hurried to the front door, but paused behind a large shrub as he heard feet approaching the door to the house. Out stepped Artemis and Butler.

Artemis paused. Butler looked at him expectantly. Abbot became increasingly nervous – one never knew what the mud boy had up his sleeve.

Artemis sensed something wrong – he still had traces of magic in his body that gave him a sort of a sixth sense to when something was wrong. He murmured his misgivings to Butler, who started a systematic search for intruders, bombs and other such unpleasantries that could be hidden about the grounds.

The big man's gaze lit upon the bush behind which Abbot was hiding and stopped. Abbot was almost shaking. Suddenly his focus was shattered by Juliet appearing behind him, chattering loudly. An irritated look passed over his face and he looked away from the shrub and at his sister. The three of them went back inside. When he felt safe, Abbot stalked toward the main gate in the walls – careful to stay in the shadows.

Inside Fowl Manor

Artemis and Butler followed Juliet into the main living room where Holly lay asleep on the couch.

"Where did you two go?" Juliet asked. "Holly was asking for you."

"We went outside to check on something – which we regrettably did not finish checking on." Butler said.

"To check on what something?" Juliet pried again, her curiosity piqued.

"If you must know, Butler thought he heard knocking on the main door." Artemis said. "We need to see who it was."

"Don't you have security cameras for that?" Juliet asked, perplexed.

"It looked like Minerva – but she always calls first. It certainly didn't act like her." Butler said. "This might be Holly's attacker."

Juliet nodded, understanding and now concerned for the elf's safety. Holly shifted slightly in her sleep.

"How is she feeling?" Artemis asked.

"She's very hungry. She was about to chug that smoothie. I made her take it easy. She's very weak – she fell several times trying to get here. Other than that, she's in pretty good spirits and just needs a little recuperation time." Juliet replied.

"We need to make sure to protect her from whoever is trying to attack her again. I think perhaps their intent was to kidnap her, but that attempt was foiled. Maybe we showed up just in time." Butler guessed.

"One of us will have to be with her at all times." Artemis suggested. "Preferably armed and with reflective contacts. Who else would know about her but another fairy?"

"That rules you out then." Juliet chuckled. "Can you even shoot a gun?"

"I can shoot a neutrino." Artemis defended himself weakly.

"You couldn't hit the side of a barn if you were IN one." Juliet jabbed.

Artemis sulked slightly, but he knew it was true. Meanwhile, Butler had stationed himself at the door to the room, obviously concerned about intruders.

Inside The Manor Grounds

Abbot snuck up to the gate very carefully. Upon reaching it, he could hear Opal on the other side, swearing and kicking the door. He opened it as fast as he could and drug Opal inside, trying to shut the door. Opal started to struggle and bumped the massive metal latch that held the door unlocked. It fell and smacked her on the head and she went limp. Abbot cursed as he now had to drag the dead weight of a blond French girl's body around. He decided to leave her lying in a heap behind one of the bushes. He had things to do.

Inside Fowl Manor

The small group relocated to the camera surveillance room. It was more secure. No windows and only one door. Butler carried Holly – still asleep and laid her down on a mattress. Juliet brought some more smoothies – the elf would be very hungry when she woke again. Butler and Artemis looked on the monitors systematically. There was nothing out of the ordinary. Abbot had unwittingly hidden Minerva's body in a blind spot. Butler continued to monitor the cameras while Artemis checked Holly's vitals. As he was taking her pulse, she opened her eyes.

"Artemis, you don't have to do that anymore, I'm going to be ok." She said, trying to sit up. She couldn't quite manage it on her own, which was infinitely frustrating for her. Juliet pulled her into a sitting position and propped her up against the wall. This time, they bade her drink the smoothies from a straw. She downed almost two before she fell asleep again.

"Artemis, look at this." Butler called from in front of one of the computers. Artemis stood from where he had been kneeling beside Holly's sleeping form and walked over. Butler pointed to a small, black garbed figure, dodging from shadow to shadow outside the building. It began to scale a wall. As it passed close to one of the cameras, they caught a view of one small hand. It looked to be small enough for a fairy. More importantly, though, the fingernails were painted hot pink.

On the Outside Wall of Fowl Manor

Abbot clambered clumsily up the wall, following his sixth sense. In the body of the pixie, his low level of natural magic was amplified. He could sense a fairly strong magical signal coming from that second floor window. It could only be something good – if it was the elf, he could kidnap her. If it was a magical hotspot or ritual leftovers, he might be able to become more powerful.

He reached the window and forced it open with his hands. It wasn't locked. He clambered in. He found himself in a bathroom. There was mud or something in the bottom of the tub. It reeked of curses. His curses. He smiled at the familiarity and grimaced at the knowledge that the elf had expelled the curse. That would make things much harder.

He concentrated on the magical signal. It was coming from a flowerpot on the side of the tub. He put his hand over a spot of disturbed soil. A few blue sparks arched into his hand. More followed. More and more until he finally spun across the floor to land against the door with a smash. Completely topped up, his blended warlock soul became immensely powerful again. He shot lightning from his fingers, blackening the ceiling and sending an electrical charge through the house.

Fowl Manor Security Room

As the intruder clambered through the bathroom window, Artemis and Butler lost visuals. Artemis silently cursed himself for not putting security cameras in the bathrooms. They were still focusing on the open window when suddenly the entire interior was filled with blue light. They heard a dim smash from somewhere else in the house. Then suddenly there was a power surge and all the computers and monitors shut down in self-protection mode.

Immediately there was a yelp of pain from Holly on the mattress. She was suddenly awake and holding her head, curled into a fetal position. Artemis was moaning and holding his head too. Juliet rushed to the elf's side and tried to comfort her, rubbing her back gently.

As soon as it happened, the pain was gone. Artemis sat up straight, theories running through his mind. After a few moments of speculation, he spoke.

"That… I think… was a magical after surge. I've heard of these but they're only caused by the most powerful warlocks after they're topped off with magic…" He trailed off as the real horror of the situation dawned on him. He looked over at Holly. She was sitting up now, rubbing her face with one hand, supporting herself with the other. She was groaning in pain.

_Of course._ Artemis thought._ She's more magically oriented than I am. Of course it would have affected her more._ He moved to her side and pushed her hand from over her face. He looked into her eyes. The pupils were two different sizes, as if a bright flash of light had gone off on one side and left her reeling and dizzy. She growled and shut her eyes tightly._ Is she still in pain?_ Juliet helped her lay down flat on her back again. She was gradually able to speak again as the pain abated.

"That." She whispered, eyes still closed. "Was the most powerful magical whiplash I've ever felt." She lifted both hands to her aching head and groaned.

"This is why they make warlocks go to the middle of nowhere to do the ritual. If it's done too close to other fairies it really hurts." She groaned. "Because of all the magic that flows out of the ground into them. It fills the air in the area and causes a magical whiplash for every magical being in the vicinity." She rolled onto her stomach, wrapping her arms around her head.

"It's like a wicked migraine." She grumbled. Artemis, who had only suffered the effects mildly and for a few seconds, put a hand on her back trying to comfort her.

Butler meanwhile was trying to restart the computers. They were fried. All ruined. He turned to Artemis and called him over. They booted up a few old laptops and tried to cut into the security

After a few minutes, Holly let go of her own head and rolled over. Her vision still reeled slightly but she was improving by the second. After a few more minutes, she got shakily to her feet and gingerly walked to where Artemis and Butler were sitting at the desk trying to get a signal from the security cameras. They were all fried too. Artemis sighed, _Almost a million dollars in security equipment… destroyed._

"What now?" Holly asked from behind them, startling them both. Artemis visibly jumped, making Holly laugh.

"Now… we try to get a hold of Foaly and call for help. I am not experienced enough in defense against magical warlocks to stop this guy." Artemis said, fighting with the old computers. Holly rolled her eyes and handed him her communicator. He called Foaly.

"Foaly, we have a situation."


	11. Chapter 11

LEP HQ and Fowl Manor

"_Foaly, we have a situation," _The unwelcome voice came over the air to the Ops Booth where Foaly was sitting. The centaur massaged his face wearily before replying.

"What is it now, Fowl? Trolls, goblins, vindictive pixies? Or is Holly still sick?" He asked, a concerned note coming into his voice at the last guess.

"No, she's a lot better actually." Artemis said. "We have a magical situation."

He went on to explain the magical surge and the strange wall-scaling fairy.

"And now there is an exceedingly powerful magical being in our house. We think it's after Holly." He said. Foaly was silent for a moment. Artemis could practically hear the wheels ticking.

"I'm sending you No.1 and Qwan." He said. "Hopefully this fairy hasn't had time to set up a teleportation block. Where are you?"

"Security room." He heard Foaly talking to somebody else in the room.

"They have been sent for." Foaly said finally. "Hopefully they will arrive in time. Do you have visuals on the intruder?"

"No. It sent a power surge through the building and fried everything." Artemis replied, audibly displeased. "But we are sure it is the one that attacked Holly in the woods. It passed by a camera and was wearing pink nail polish."

"Just like what you found in the wound." Foaly completed for him. Artemis heard keys being typed. "There's still no lead on who this is." He said finally.

"Are you sure Opal is dead?" Artemis said "Last I heard she was in jail."

"You got misinformation. She was killed by the kraken rock fall. Heck, we even found her body. Dead as could be. Past Opal has been sent back to her time, mind-wiped." Foaly said, rechecking his information.

"Qwan and No1 have just left." Foaly reported. Seconds later, the two warlocks appeared in the room, magic already swirling in their runes. They were ready to do battle. Before anything could happen, however, another magical surge took hold of the immediate area. Holly crumpled to the floor, unconscious. The demons' readied magic managed to dispel most of the effects. They seemed to absorb the flux. If anything, their runes grew brighter and their eyes took on a blue sheen.

"You ready, boy?" Qwan asked No.1. The young warlock grinned and nodded eagerly. They opened the steel door and went out into the hallway.

Artemis shook the pain from his head and knelt beside Holly. Juliet had moved her limp body back to the mattress, where she lay pale and unconscious. Artemis took her pulse. It was weak and fast. Her breathing was steady though, and slowly she began to improve. She groaned and cursed as she regained consciousness. She shook her head to get her bearings and opened her eyes.

"Is that even necessary?" She complained, struggling to sit up. Then she saw the door wide open. She sat up straight and asked what had happened.

"The warlocks have just left." He said. "I'm sure they have quite a show in store for our intruder."

Holly struggled to her feet, surprising both Artemis and Juliet.

"They will need help." She began, and then swayed slightly. She leaned against the wall to wait for her head to stop spinning. "Remember on Hybras?" She added as a response to Artemis's questioning look.

He did indeed remember. When the warlocks were working on their spell, they were physically defenseless. He had no idea if there were more intruders than the one they caught on camera. He suddenly had a shocking thought.

"What if the second surge was another warlock receiving magic?" He asked. Holly stared at him in horror for a moment then cursed at length.

"We need to find them." She said and took a few wobbly steps forward. Juliet supported her while Butler and Artemis took out a selection of weaponry. Artemis smiled as he brought out a sleekly modified neutrino and handed it to Holly.

"What is this?" She asked, looking at the gun with evident interest.

"It's an anti-spell gun." Artemis explained, opening the chamber to reveal a small silver-tipped dart that hummed with some sort of power. She reached out to touch it. He pulled her hand away sharply. "Don't touch it. It will sap you of your magic. I created it to combat warlocks shortly after the first siege on Fowl Manor. It is just a prototype and has never been tested, but I, of course, do not make mistakes." He said, throwing his head back with a pompous air. Holly punched him lightly in the stomach.

"Sure Mud Boy, that is, if you forget about chopping my finger off in Siberia and all the other insane things you've done on our adventures." She said, closing the chamber carefully and cocking the gun. She was still unsteady on her feet, but despite her weakness she was a much better shot that even Juliet or Butler, so the Butlers armed themselves with other types of both lethal and nonlethal weaponry and they headed out the door. Holly's head was pounding and she had to lean on Artemis for support as they went down the corridors.

They came to a window overlooking the front lawn of the manor and saw a very disturbing sight. There were four forms, two in blue light, and two in red light. It didn't take too long to realize that the demon warlocks were battling two powerful magical beings, and looked to be losing. Not waiting to go down the stairs, Holly threw the window open and aimed. She had been a crack-shot since the age of 30, so it was no surprise to anyone around her when the dart hit the closer of the two red figures and extinguished the light. The black robed form hit the ground, the dart sticking from its shoulder.

"Good shot!" Butler exclaimed and ruffled Holly's hair. She grinned up at him, taking her eyes away from the lawn for just a second. It turned out to be a second that could cost them dearly.

**5 minutes previously**

Opal woke feeling better than she had in years, except for the hand on her arm that was getting its oily nastiness on her flawless skin. She took exception to this and opened her eyes. She was blinded for an instant by the abundance of blue light that lit up every pore on her body. She looked up to see Amber's face looking down on her. The face split into a demonic grin as the uncharacteristically rough voice told her to get herself together so they could take down that elf. Abbot then planted another acorn and filled himself up with magic, sending yet another shockwave of magic over the area. Opal cursed loudly and some sparks flew to her head to ease the pain.

Suddenly Abbot flung himself down behind the bush beside her. The front door opened and two short stumpy shapes came out. Their bodies were… glowing. Opal realized a split second after Abbot that these beings were warlocks. Simultaneously they readied magical lightning bolts in their hands. They stood up as one and threw them at the demons. And so the magical battle had begun. Opal and Abbot had the element of surprise in their favor and because of this they were winning the battle. That is, before that damn elf stepped in and ruined everything. Again.

**Real time**

Juliet saw the bolt out of the corner of her eye but was too late to stop it from hitting Holly on the side of her head. It should have killed her instantly. She should have been dead before she hit the floor. She shouldn't have been able to hear Artemis's frantic cries from above her nor the sounds of the Butler's guns as they fired simultaneously at the second red form. On all accounts, she should have been no more, but it wasn't the first time Holly Short cheated death.

The gun was blown out of Holly's hand by the bolt. Pieces of it were later found embedded a foot into the opposite wall. The gun took the force of the blast, and some shards pierced Holly's arm and face, but the majority of her injuries were burns to the side of her face and shoulder facing the window. She was knocked to the ground by the force of the blast. Artemis was horrified and almost burst into uncharacteristic tears, but when he realized she was still alive, he almost sobbed in relief as he knelt by her side examining the wounds.

Holly's hair was singed and the burns on her face were bleeding. They didn't seem to hurt too much. The nerve endings must have been burned off. What clearly hurt were the shards of metal buried in her arm and face. As Butler and Juliet called for the demon warlocks, Artemis began carefully removing the shards from his friend's body. She participated as best as she could by rolling onto her side before she passed out.

No.1 rushed up the stairs. He practically collapsed beside his stricken friend. Together, he and Artemis finished removing the pieces of metal from Holly's body, and then he motioned everyone to stand back. His runes glowed bright again and he sent his magic through blue fingers and healed Holly. It was a much more dramatic healing than the one they had done in the tub. This one healed Holly completely, including her previous weakness and hunger. It had something to do with No.1's special magic, or so the warlock later claimed.

Regardless, when the bright light faded, Holly looked healthier than she had in months. Her face was completely healed – not scarred at all, though her hair ended up slightly longer. She opened her eyes, and sat up and looked gratefully into Artemis and No.1's eyes. She was about to say something when Artemis threw his arms around her. He was visibly shaking.

"Holly, don't ever scare me like that again!" He exclaimed, holding her tight. "I thought we lost you." He paused, then repeated in a whisper, "I thought we lost you again." He pulled her to arms length to look at her face. She saw the fear and relief mixed in his eyes and smiled.

"They haven't got me yet." She said, and hugged him back.

­­­­­­­­

A/N (No, it's not the end. There is one more chapter to tie up loose ends and such.)


	12. Chapter 12

Holly hauled herself to her feet. She stood tall and strong again. (Or as tall as a meter tall fairy can stand) No one needed to be at her side to steady her should she fall. She felt immensely better. The feeling of dependency and weakness was completely gone. She looked at the still-smoldering wreckage of Artemis's gun embedded in the wall behind them.

"I am sorry about the gun." She said, wistfully. "It worked perfectly – excellent accuracy." Then she stopped herself before she could say more. No need to inflate the mud boy's ego more than necessary. Artemis got shakily to his feet. He was still somewhat astonished that his friend was alive and well.

"It was just a gun." He said, his voice breaking embarrassingly. Holly looked over at him and smirked, but said nothing. She turned to the window and looked down. The form she shot was lying face down on the grass. The other was lying in a pool of blood some distance away. Qwan was making his way across the lawn to it. Without a word, they went down the stairs and outside onto the lawn.

As they left the house, a blue light shone around the second form, the one covered in blood. Qwan was healing it, whatever it was. Holly stopped and looked down at the black clothed creature, at the pink fingernails that were obviously the source of the nasty scar on her leg. She prodded the creature with her foot. No.1 carefully rolled it over. Holly gasped.

"I know this pixie! I was assigned on a missing person case for her! She seemed to have just disappeared. This is Amber Koboi." Artemis stared in shock at the pixie.

"But she's just a pixie!" He exclaimed. "How could she do that to your leg?" _Pixies have notoriously weak hands,_ he remembered. Holly shook her head and shrugged. No.1 meanwhile was examining the creature, careful not to remove the magic inhibitor dart. He pressed his forehead to that of the pixie and a blue light surrounded them for a moment, then No.1 pulled back, an indiscernible look on his face.

A thought seemed to hit him suddenly. Sparks leapt from his fingers in shock.

"This isn't a pixie!" He exclaimed, unconsciously backing up slightly. Holly knelt beside him.

"What do you mean?" She asked suspiciously.

"The mind inside this thing is not a pixie. It's… a demon warlock." He said, with a shudder. "And I think I know him."

There was a noise behind them and the group turned from the unconscious pixie to see Qwan leading Minerva toward them. Her clothing was bloodied, but otherwise she seemed fine, that is, until Juliet punched her in the face. She fell like a ton of bricks. Qwan simply rolled his eyes and shot a few sparks down to heal the girl's broken nose as he tried to explain.

"These two were possessed." He said simply. No 1 looked at him, this answer registering in his mind. Qwan continued "This one was possessed by Opal Koboi and, as far as I can tell from your reaction No 1, the other is possessed by N'Zall, who attacked my student Qweffor long ago. It seems the demon has a handle on Qweffor's magical powers." He paused, a look of concern passing over his face.

"Both of these beings are dead – N'Zall's soul left when Qweffor retook the body. Opal is dead. They must possess these two by some sort of charm Opal left in case of her death."

"Like this?" They turned to find Holly pointing at something shiny on the ground. It was a black stone with a red center. As she moved closer to it, her eyes clouded over and she fell to her knees

"Get back!" Qwan shouted, but she barely heard him. Suddenly a shot rang out. Juliet looked with satisfaction at the shattered stone, in pieces on the ground. Holly shook her head and stood again.

"That was weird." She said. "That thing must have been immensely powerful."

"She is," Said a voice behind her. Holly whirled around to face Minerva. She was safely out of punching distance, and was looking very apologetic. "That horrible creature took over my mind." She said, shuddering. "I am incredibly sorry for what she did to you. I know it seems like I tried to kill you. I apologize." She said, holding a hand out to the elf. Holly took it.

"Forgiven." She said simply, her mind not quite able to handle all the supernatural elements to this. The form by her feet stirred and groaned.

Amber rolled over and looked up, straight into the barrels of three different guns. She whimpered.

"Hasn't this been quite enough?" She said, almost whining. "First I have to wade through all those gross demon memories just to wake up, and now people are going to kill me? What a bad day." She said, somewhat dazedly.

Holly rolled her eyes and put away the gun.

"This one is oblivious." She said. This warranted a glare from the pixie lying on the ground.

"Am not!" She protested. "My head hurts like a mother…" She trailed off into mercifully inaudible swearing. Qwan stepped toward her and sent some more of his healing magic into the pixie, who sat up feeling a lot better.

"Amber Koboi." Holly said firmly, "I believe you are in for a trip to police plaza." The pixie paled. "But it's not my fault!" She howled. "It's not my fault that bitch came back! I never thought the opal was anything but a trinket! I swear!"

"I beg to differ." Artemis said. "You were involved in your Aunt's schemes since the B'wa Kell rebellion. That's why you had to disappear to Paris." He said, smirking at her. "And as any good LEP officer, Holly never forgets an unsolved case."

"That's right." Holly said. "You may even have to answer for this." She pulled up her pants leg to reveal a large crescent shaped scarred dent in her calf. Amber gasped. "I will need therapy to rebuild the missing muscle." Holly said, almost wistfully. Artemis could tell she was not looking forward to physical therapy in Haven. He made a mental note to ask her if she would like for him to treat her at Fowl Manor instead.

"Well, it wasn't really your fault." Holly said to the now horrified pixie. "I just don't know how we'll ever get all of this through the council's thick heads."

"We will explain." Qwan said. "If nothing else, she can plead insanity." He chuckled, receiving glares from both Minerva and Amber.

"Before anything else happens," No 1 said, "We need to get these two down into Haven to process this whole thing."

"Can't have them running off, can we?" Butler added, receiving a terrified glance from Amber, who had never seen a human quite as tall and terrifying as Butler before.

Artemis again used Holly's communicator to call Foaly, this time with good news.

**Lower Elements – Ops Booth**

Foaly almost jumped as the communication line between Haven and Fowl manor was reestablished. He had spent the past few minutes pacing the booth with Trouble Kelp. Foaly fumbled for the answer button.

"Hi Foaly."

**Fowl Manor Lawn**

"Yes, she's ok."

"No, there were two of them."

"Yes, we beat them."

"Um… there were some complications but nothing we couldn't handle… Foaly, stop squealing about putting people's lives in danger! Everything is fine." Artemis sighed, exasperated.

"Just send up a shuttle!" He said impatiently after a few moments of nonstop buzzing from the other end. He held the communicator away from his ear as more sound issued forth.

'Next time, you're calling him.' He mouthed to Holly who grinned, but held out her hand for the communicator.

"Foaly?" She said, in a lull in the tirade.

"HOLLY!" The voice was audible to all around and Holly winced as blue sparks played in her pointy ear.

"Foaly, chill." She said, rubbing her head with her free hand.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Well… there were complications."

"No, I'm perfectly fine. I'll tell you more when we get down there. Now SEND THE SHUTTLE!" She shouted. The centaur fell silent at her ferocity.

"That's what I thought. I'll see you in a few." She said, smiling now and closed the communicator.

**30 Minutes Later**

The shuttle finally arrived, piloted by none other than Commander Trouble Kelp. As soon as he powered down the shuttle, he hopped out of the pilot's chair and walked over to Holly. He looked her up and down. She blushed slightly before her commanding officer, realizing that she was still wearing sweat pants and a t-shirt with one sleeve burned off. Trouble smiled suddenly and opened his own communicator.

"She looks okay to me, Foaly…" He began but was interrupted by a barrage of questions from the other side. He sighed and shut the communicator.

"He's so worried about you." He told Holly somewhat unnecessarily. "Poor guy..."

Trouble smiled and stepped up to his officer, offering his hand, eyes twinkling.

"Nice to have you back in action, Captain Short." He said, as she shook his hand, grinning.

Trouble first noticed the slight limp in Holly's step when she tried to climb the stairs to the shuttle. Upon collapsing in a chair, holding her leg and grimacing, she was forced to show him the injury and explain what had happened.

"Foaly knew something was wrong." Trouble said. "He says he has a sixth sense." He rolled his eyes. Trouble piloted the shuttle back to Haven, while Holly sat with the warlocks, the Butlers, Artemis, Minerva and Amber, trying to figure out how they would deal with the upcoming trials.

**Lower Elements, Haven**

When the shuttle arrived at the port, Holly refused to let anyone help her down the stairs. It was easier going down, she found. They made a strange sight walking down the streets to HQ. Three human teenagers, one incredibly tall man, two demon warlocks, a strange looking pixie, the LEP commander, and one very determined female elf. Holly traversed the steps to Police Plaza with difficulty, and as soon as she entered the building, she found herself enveloped in two extremely hairy arms.

"Foaly…" She muttered into his lab coat, to which he was pressing her face.

"Oh gods Holly, something happened to you! I know it I know it I know it! But nobody will tell me!" He wailed.

Foaly held her out at arms length, looking her up and down from the sweatpants, to her burned shirt, to the rather irate look on her face. He beckoned the whole group into the Ops booth and demanded that Holly tell him what happened to her. He gasped as she told him about Opal's lightning bolt and how she was nearly killed. Then she pulled up the pants leg yet again to show him the debilitating scar.

"That was it. I knew my sixth sense was picking up on something." He whinnied. "You'll have to go through therapy for that."

"I know." Holly grumbled miserably. "But we have bigger things to worry about at the moment Foaly. Namely, our guests…" She said, gesturing at Amber and Minerva.

Foaly called a meeting with Artemis, Butler, the warlocks and Amber and Minerva. He sent Juliet with Holly to make sure she wouldn't fall over dead or something. _Paranoid centaur._ Holly rolled her eyes, but obeyed nonetheless. Juliet indeed proved herself useful by helping Holly scrub the blood out of her hair and trim it to its old length.

The elf showered, enjoying the feeling of the hot water running over her body, relaxing her tense muscles. She put on a new one piece and uniform, toweling her head off and stretching before returning to the locker room where she had left Juliet. The girl examined Holly's leg. It was slightly swollen from all her movement. While it was not terribly painful at the moment, Juliet insisted that they put some ice on it before it swelled up too painfully. Holly grudgingly agreed and ended up walking back to the Ops booth with an ice pack saran-wrapped around her leg.

Foaly almost went into conniptions at the sight of her iced leg, but calmed down as Juliet quickly explained it was only for the swelling.

"Why can't you warlocks heal that anyway?" He asked.

"You can't heal something that just isn't there." Qwan replied. "The muscle tissue was forcibly torn out." Foaly grunted in reply. The hearing for Amber and Minerva was set to start in a few minutes.

**Council Room**, **Haven**

Holly was called to testify first, then Butler, Artemis and Juliet. The warlocks testified when they came into the story. Foaly was called to confirm that Artemis had spoken to him about Holly's injuries and their decision to keep her at Fowl Manor. Minerva was not eligible to be tried in a fairy court, so she was dismissed.

Amber, however, was finally convicted of conspiring with a public enemy, as per her previous involvement. They didn't really know how to charge her when Holly's injury came up, seeing as it wasn't Amber herself who did the deed. Eventually, Amber was sent to prison with the possibility of bail, which Minerva graciously paid for. Amber was forbidden to return to the surface however, and was encouraged to settle in Haven.

The remaining members of the party regrouped in the Ops Booth. Amber had left with Vinyaya, who was kindly helping her find a new home. Minerva had already been sent back to the surface. Artemis sat with Holly, Foaly, Trouble and the Butlers in the room as they debriefed. Holly was drowsy and nodding off, her leg propped up on a table. Juliet was also nodding off. The two sitting side by side looked like bobble-heads, causing Foaly to snicker quietly.

Finally, Trouble took Artemis and the Butlers back to Fowl Manor and Foaly walked with Holly to her apartment. He could now see clearly that she was feeling fine, but his paranoid side would not allow her to walk home in the dark alone. She struggled up the steps to her flat and smiled at Foaly's concerned look.

"Don't worry, donkey boy. I'll be fine. Ask Trouble to give me a few vacation days?"

"Sure thing." Foaly replied, grinning and hugged his friend again. "It's good to have you back."

* * *

**Fin**

*** * ***

**A/N: That's all folks. Let me know what you think, where I can improve, etc. This fic is ready for a sequel if anybody wants me to write one. I purposefully left a few loose ends that could be brought together. Inconsequential loose ends, but enough to work with I think.**

**I also want to thank my best reviewer, Liris, without whom many of these chapters would have not been updated as soon as they were. Many thanks to all who read and/or reviewed.**

**-bholly**


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